


Gift of the Goddess

by WyrmLivvy



Series: Kisaragi-Shinra Marriage Alliance AU [1]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Arranged Marriage, Character(s) of Color, F/F, Female Character of Color, Gen, Marriage of Convenience, Weddings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-30
Updated: 2015-07-30
Packaged: 2018-04-11 23:59:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4457504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WyrmLivvy/pseuds/WyrmLivvy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post Meteorfall the world is unstable and uncertain, in need of alliances. One way to symbolize an alliance is marriage. Thus Yuffie, representing Wutai, enters into one with a representative of Shin-Ra. Surprisingly, it ends up being Elena of the Turks. </p><p>This story (or series) will cover the events of Advent Children and Dirge of Ceberus. More characters will be added as they do more and are relevant in the story.</p><p>Rating may increase.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gift of the Goddess

**Author's Note:**

> Content Warnings: In this chapter someone gets shot (though its not described in graphic detail), so be warned if that may be traumatizing. Also, mentions of Don Corneo (so references to rape scenarios). 
> 
> See the end notes for details and spoilers on the pairings and relationships that will be in this story, and info on names. I may rewrite parts of this story or add stuff at anytime if I figure out things. 
> 
> There's tons of headcanons here and if you have questions about any, feel free to message me or comment. 
> 
> This chapter is lots of thinking, not much action.  
> Unbeta'd.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…” Tseng began. 

Turks, truly jacks of all trades: spies, assassins, bodyguards, wedding officiators… His tone was soft and professional as if he had done tons of wedding ceremonies before and not just this one. Yuffie stopped paying attention, her mind wandering off. Most of Midgar was ruined post Meteorfall so her wedding was taking place outside, instead of in a building. They were at a relatively rubble free part of the slums, at the outer edge of the former city. The area had been rapidly cleared, upon Rufus Shinra’s orders, with assistance from her friends, the former members of the now disbanded AVALANCHE. 

Yuffie wanted the wedding to be over with. She could be doing more productive things like cleaning up the rest of the city, though she knew this wedding was important too. The world was unstable, what was needed were allies, one between Wutai and Shinra. Weddings were traditional. A symbol of two groups’ willingness and commitment of entering into an alliance.

Yes, Yuffie knew she obviously had to be the Wutai representative. She insisted on it. But as for Shin-Ra’s? The person officiating her wedding right now had been one of the candidates. But in the end it wasn’t Tseng. 

Yuffie continued to zone out on his words and looked elsewhere. She remembered reading once somewhere, that weddings were suppose to have flowers. Brides were suppose to throw something, something called a bouquet which was an arranged collection of different flowers. She didn’t see any here. 

If only. If Aerith…if she was still alive there would be…Yuffie tried to hold back tears but one fell anyway. Tseng looked up. What could he be thinking? That she was getting emotional over being married?

Oh, Leviathan. Yuffie hadn’t realized but she had let out a small cry too.

At that, her wife-to-be turned to look at her. Elena’s expression was curious and worried, and her arm twitched, but then her professionalism tempered it down. Tseng pretended not to notice anything at all. 

At a wedding everyone would be looking at the bride. Here were two brides but there were more of Yuffie's family and friends than Elena's. Vincent's eyes widened and Cid looked read to let out a curse word. Cloud was all frowny. Tifa's expression was morphing into worry. Nanaki raised his head from where he was sitting on a seat especially made for him. Her father stared. 

"I-I can't believe I'm getting married. This is the happiest day of my life!" Yuffie gave a cheery grin like a thousand ones before, theatrically wiping away a tear. 

There were a few laughs, looks of relief. Once her guests settled and didn't do anything drastic, like dragging her off the platform, Yuffie directed her smile to Elena. Tseng continued speaking as if he hadn't been disrupted. 

Inside a flash of annoyance returned. Yuffie hadn't seen Elena until today. Everything was planned by Rufus and his Turks - the ones that weren’t getting married. It had irked Yuffie that Elena was showing up to her wedding, (their wedding?) in the outfit she did. Yuffie wasn’t quite ready to think of it was their wedding, to think of them as a unit at all although she had spent plenty of time telling others to get used to the fact. 

Elena obviously thought that being dressed in her Turk uniform, getting married in her uniform, was suitable. Okay, it was a suit but…Yuffie sighed internally. She guessed there was some special details and it was fancier than what Elena normally wore from the few times Yuffie had seen her when the Turks were pursuing Yuffie and her friends. Yuffie had gone through alot together with Cloud's party, chasing Sephiroth, saving the world. All while Shin-Ra harassed them. 

There was an instance where Yuffie had a chance to see Elena for an extended period of time. She thought it was Elena’s fault Yuffie was captured because she was the Great Ninja Yuffie who obviously could escape her enemies (she had escaped from Cloud’s party after she stole all their Materia after all) but no, Elena had to fight her while Yuffie was trying to get away with her stolen Materia. 

They were busy fighting each other when Don Corneo’s goons had surprised them with an attack. They both ended up captured. Elena and her had ended up hanging from Da-chao Statue, which was definitely not fun, while the gross prick had been deciding who was to be his “night companion”. Yuffie didn’t know where he was now or if Reno and Rude really did do him in but if they had Yuffie thought that wouldn’t be a bad thing. 

Thinking back, Elena had been suspended to the side of her, on the other eye of the statue. Although nearby, Yuffie’s peripheral vision didn’t go that far and she couldn’t keep on turning her head that much, but Elena had look nice - her nose was cute and her shoes were shiny, despite the fighting she had engaged in (and still was doing honestly, against the bonds). And her eyes, brown and solid, were glaring daggers at the mafia boss who had captured them although usually those eye’s ire were directed at Yuffie and her group.

Now Elena looked clean and prepared for a wedding (even if she was dressed in her work uniform). Her lipstick complimented her pink lips. She had a lot more accessories on than just her usual Minerva Band. There were expensive looking silver and diamond accessories. A tie clip, cuff links, earrings and even a collar chain. Yuffie’s first thought was shiny, followed by ‘I totally want to steal those’, and the third was that Elena did look beautiful, dressed up without a crease out of place. The woman who once said Yuffie and her party should get ready to die. Well, her objectives certainly were different now.

Yuffie turned her attention to the gathered guests. Vincent's expression was unreadable, like usual, but at least he wasn't wearing his raggedy cape. He was in a Turk suit, which was weird, but it was probably the only formal outfit he could find that he had. Briefly, Yuffie wondered what if Vincent was the one dressed in a Turk uniform next to her and then she pushed that thought aside with some struggle. Vincent did not know it, but part of the reason she was marrying was to protect him. It seemed ridiculous, Yuffie, protecting the great Vincent Valentine, but that would be what she was doing. 

In another close, parallel universe, Vincent would have qualified to be someone Yuffie could marry for the alliance she was going for. The Council of Elders insisted Yuffie's spouse either had to be Rufus or if someone else, they had to be from Wutai, as if that would make them likelier to be biased to Wutai once the alliance was secured. Rufus himself surely had some Wutaian heritage because his father did. The name Shinra was part of a cluster of well-known family names that for generations were associated with Wutai's religions. People from the families were well-known priests, ascetics and holy folk. Shinra came from the saying "Shinra Banshou." All Creation. All-creating and they had nearly all-destroyed the world because of what the Mako reactors did to the Planet, and they had created Sephiroth. All Creation. Yuffie had unconsciously named her ultimate Limit Break, hard earned from scaling the Pagoda, after his family, or just Rufus. What had happened that the Shinra name became what it did at their end? It made the Wutai War a greater betrayal. The War... 

She couldn't think of that now. What had she been thinking of before? Vinny. Right... Vincent was an ex-Turk but he had been a Turk. Maybe he still was? That was what Yuffie wasn't certain about. And Vincent did come from Wutai. While on their long journey, Yuffie had mumbled in Wutainese, some curse, and Vincent had recognized what she was saying. He was shocked, showed more emotion than usual and responded before he realized too late he should have stuck to being enigmatic and silent. She had suspected, tricked him and he revealed himself. His surname had been Valentin but upon joining the Turks, he added an "e". Yuffie understood, she added an "f" and an "e" to her first name when she set out on her journey but she wouldn't do anything to her family name. She knew what he did to his first name too, she always pronounced it to sound like "Vinsent", what it was suppose to sound. 

Yuffie had probably pulled more words from him than anyone else in the party because they had spoken together late at nights in the language of her home country. Their home country, she hoped. But how long had Vincent slept in the coffin at the Nibelheim Shinra Mansion? Did he feel like he belonged anywhere? She didn't know the answers though they spoke. Or more like Yuffie talked and Vincent listened, occasionally repeating her words for a clarification. She felt homesick from time to time and just listening to another person speak Wutainese helped. Vincent couldn't (or wouldn't) sleep at night, and Yuffie had been trying to sneak around for Materia but Vincent was there. She felt bad when it finally came time to steal everyone's Materia. Even Vincent's. But she had been forgiven and now her friends were at her wedding. 

Barret was seated next to Vincent. He was keeping an eye on the small child seated next to him - his adopted daughter Marlene, but was sneaking some glares at Rufus between that. Marlene was a cute child. Perhaps Elena and her could also ad- Yuffie stopped that thought, she couldn't believe she was already thinking about something like that.

She quickly tried to change her thoughts. It turned to Rufus. Again. 

Okay. 

That was even worse. 

He was in his fancy white suit like he was the one getting married. Yuffie could tell whether it was his regular white suit or a different one and this one was different. There were patterns along the sleeves, the patterns like partially frozen ice. (Why had both Elena and Rufus gone for the ice theme?) Rufus had also been one of the possible marriage candidates, besides Tseng and Elena but he had declined. Still, he’d be the one to really have a say in the alliance Yuffie thought, barely holding back a frown. In the end Yuffie ended up agreeing to marry Elena because Yuffie's choices had been limited to those close to Shin-Ra. Rufus had said he refused to let himself be distracted by something like marriage. 

Yuffie had thought Tseng would step in. He would have been the best option because of his position as the leader of the Turks, and his Wutaian heritage but somehow Elena had stepped in. Elena who turned out to have been born in Wutai, named Irina at birth. Elena had moved to Icicle Inn at age eight and had her name changed to Elena to fit in. She moved to Midgar for high school and was now a part of the Turks. Yuffie had read a file on her. As if that would increase the trust between the parties and start the alliance off well. It just weirded her out when Elena personally handed Yuffie her files filled with personal information. 

Yuffie thanked her out of habit. 

She had smiled and said, "Just doing my job." 

Now Yuffie knew every injury she ever sustained and what her skills were, even secret ones that would have been advantageous to Shin-Ra if Yuffie didn't know Elena had certain abilities. 

It surprised Yuffie the first time she saw Elena sign a document with her signature in the alphabet of Wutai, and then in the syllabic script. Elena and her had done a lot of document signing. This wedding wasn't even necessary, Yuffie thought. But supposedly there was tradition to think about. Then why were they holding the wedding in Midgar style? Yuffie was confused. 

Had Rufus done something? 'Have the ceremony be Midgar style because I've always wanted to see Yuffie in a white wedding dress!' said Rufus in Yuffie's imagination although it had been in his high-pitched child's voice, because that was when she heard him say similar words. His voice was deeper now, he was older. Rufus did joke before, with Yuffie in the way kids did, that he was going to marry her when they grew up. She had thrown a Materia at his head. There were already talks of a plan, when they were small. Why not pair up the Wutai Princess and Shin-Ra heir? Now they were grown-ups and Rufus had been the one to reject her. 

Yuffie glared at the Turks' charge. Rufus saw Yuffie giving him the stink eye and raised a single eyebrow, questioning, as if to ask: getting cold feet? Hmph. Yuffie could read Rufus' expressions, sometimes. Rufus was skilled at hiding stuff. Though from experience she knew what to look for, what the twitch of a facial muscle could mean. But Rufus was older now, more closed off. 

She hadn't seen him in such a long time. She wanted to see him on the ship, but she and the others had been stowaways and Barret had beaten her to it. He had been bad at sneaking, it was a miracle he hadn't been caught. When she had been evacuating Midgarians with Vincent she wanted to see Rufus. She had feared that he had been killed by Diamond Weapon's blast. But she saw that he alive although injured and Tseng was already loading him onto a helicopter. So she didn't approach him, but watched from shadows, like a good ninja. Of course she worried. They had been friends, but that stopped with the Wutai War. 

No. Yuffie had to not think about that but her mind had already started. 

Yuffie looked to the side. Reno and Rude were around Rufus, making clear the awkward dividing lines between the Shin-Ra guests and her friends and family - the disbanded AVALANCHE members and people flown in from Wutai, some of the elders and Pagoda masters, and of course her father who had earlier guided her up the aisle since this wedding was being done in the Midgar style. 

She wished her mother was here. To see her get married.

Oh no. More crying? Yuffie tried to hold it back, but what was she doing? She was thinking about the War again. About to enter into an alliance with Shin-Ra. With Shin-Ra! What they had done, her mother…

“Should anyone here present know of any reason that this couple should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace.” 

That caught Yuffie’s attention. Tseng had said it. He would begin the exchanging of vows section soon. 

Yeah. Yuffie thought. I have a reason to oppose this matrimony. Because I’m about to marry into an alliance with the group of people responsible for my mother’s death. Second thoughts. She looked at the crowd that was saying nothing, there were some grunts, coughs. No words but posture and expressions suggested discontent. It had took her a while to convince her friends, her father and the Wutai Council of Elders to let her go through with this wedding. She had done her work a little too well. 

“I-” Yuffie began. She did not have the time to finish her words. She heard a shout of “Here’s a reason!” and then a bullet had lodged itself into her chest. 

The last thing she saw before blacking out was her white dress, rapidly staining red. What she last heard was the sounds of her wedding ceremony descending into chaos.

**Author's Note:**

> The main pairing will be Yuffie/Elena but they are not in love (yet). There will also be eventual Rufus/Tseng. These are the main and endgame ships.  
> I'm not sure if I want this to also have Cid/Vincent yet. 
> 
> Now here's the list of unrequited love and one-sided crushes.  
> Rufus has an unrequited love for Yuffie.  
> Yuffie has a crush on Vincent.  
> Elena has a crush on Tseng, and a crush on Rufus.  
> They have varying levels of intensity and awareness about said crushes (even to themselves). All of these will eventually be let go/dealt with/ended and or settled into comrade-ness.
> 
> Rufus will eventually be redeemed, it's a process. 
> 
> On Wutai & Names:
> 
> Since some Wutai people have Russian names (Chekhov, Staniv, Gorky and Yuri), I think Wutai has whatever counts as "Russian people" and "Japanese people" in FFVII, and also other "Asian people" such as "Chinese people" because in my headcanons, Tseng (Cantonese name) is also from Wutai. Well it can't be helped because Wutai is the only "Asian country" in a pseudo-European world. Wutai is the tvtropes Trope Namer for goodness sake. I have so many feelings about Wutai though, mixed as they are. 
> 
> Elena's romanji name is written as Irīna -> Irina, but translated as Elena. Irina is a Russian name. Elena is "white-passing".
> 
> Vincent is Винсент (Vinsent). Valentin is a Russian surname, was changed to Valentine. He does not "pass". 
> 
> Yuffie's name in FFVII JPN edition was Yufi but a compromise was made for the English version to have her name be "Yuffie." She is just "Japanese."
> 
> Shinra comes from (神羅万象, Everything Covered by God), a Japanese four-character idiom and homophone variant of Shinra Banshou (森羅万象, All-Covering Forests and Ten Thousand Things), a Buddhist idiom which has come to mean "All of Nature" or "All of Creation". (from finalfantasy wikia) There's so much irony because of their nature destroying but I guess what Shinra wants is control of "Everything Covered by God"/the entire Planet. 
> 
> Rufus Shinra "passes."
> 
> Yes, basically none of the five main characters are "white people" or what people think could be white people in Final Fantasy VII. They are all what we could see as people of color or Asians. They all have different relationships to their backgrounds and I hope to explore it in fic. Please tell me if you feel something is really off because I don't necessarily know some experiences or what it's like to be some identities.
> 
> This thing had been kicking in my head for a while but only recently did I really find inspiration. I'm really excited for the Remake. ^^


End file.
